Healthy recipes for vegetarian barbecue cooking can really separate the men from the boys. I’ve been to many a barbecue when the options for vegetarian guests quite simply looked like afterthoughts. Well here’s how to cook for your vegetarian guests with confidence.
This recipe requires some hours for marinating so give yourself some time but the bonus is that once the marinade is prepared it also doubles up as the sauce.
Halloumi is a hard cheese traditionally made in Cyprus and is ideal for the barbecue grill because of higher-than-normal melting point compared to other cheeses.
The resistance to melting comes from the fresh curd used in the manufacturing process being heated before being shaped and placed in the brine. Note how when eating it, it makes your teeth squeek!
Ingredients:-
750g / 11/2lb Halloumi cut into 1 cm thick strips
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 plum tomatoes skinned seeded and diced
1 red onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Black olives (optional)
Method:-
Mix up all the ingredients and marinate the cheese for 4 hours. Place the cheese slices into a barbecue rack and place on barbecue grill with hot coals and brush on the marinade a few times.
TIP - Hot coals will help the surface of the cheese go brown and crisp and a
barbecue rack
gives a little extra spread of surface should your halloumi soften too quickly.
When the halloumi takes on a light suntan, remove from the grill, place in a serving bowl, dress with the black olives and pour over the remainder of the marinade.
Served as part of a salad or in a pitta, you can’t go wrong.
